If you couldn't choose Naim, what brands would you shortlist for a system?

Pass, Ayre, Nagra.... some tubes: Leben, Audionote, Octave, Mcintosh

Speaker: Devore, Boenicke, Focal

For main system class D amplification Linn and Devialet.

For main system class A/B amplification Krell and Plinius.

On my wish list to hear is Simaudio Moon 600 and 700-level integrateds.

I haven't heard Bryston but it's amplification I'd definitely demo if available. 

Esoteric I have heard. It does nothing wrong. At the same time, it's not going to whelm you with engagement.

T38.45 posted:

Speaker: Devore, Boenicke, Focal

See rule 5.

marantz and accuphase ...japanese perfection 

On my wish list to hear: Nagra. But at a more realistic price point for me - Dynavector L300/HX100 combo or a Blue Circle 022i integrated.

I think I would go with a Garrard 401 in a Loricraft plinth but with a an SME IV tonearm,  vintage valves for the power amp either a Leak or a Radford into big 15" Tannoys fully serviced in custom built boxes and on custom built stands and perhaps a Townsend passive pre.

I'm actually building another system for the spare room solely for playing all of my old reggae a poor man's version of the above.  I already have a beautiful birch ply layered plinth made for a Lenco GL75 that will have either a Rega 250 or 300 tonearm.  I  could have gone really authentic and bought a Garrard 4HF which is a beautiful looking deck but doesn't sound half as good as it looks.

Valve phonostage and or pre with built in phonostage with tone controls and as Powerful a Valve power amp as I can afford someting with KT-88's would be nice.

Of course the speakers will make or break this system and will determine which power amp I go with.

This system is less about Hifi and more about extracting the best sound from some quite badly recorded, mastered and pressed vinyl so nothing to revealing with lots of added colour.

Feeling Zen - here you go,

Main System 

Innuous Statement Server through Chord Dave into ATC SCM 40A.

Haven't heard any of these (yet)!!! But if the Innous Statement gets even better reviews than the Zenith SE (which can no longer be purchased new) and the Chord Dave and ATC SCM 40As are as good as the reviews and users report, then I have a potential alternative for further investigation and/or amalgamation.

I know you said no speakers but these are also the power amp, which is a big part of their attraction I guess. 

This may have been a dangerous exercise, I just opened a new column in my options spreadsheet - can't work out where an ND555 will fit in though and I would need to investigate the broader implications of using a Chord DAC as the pre-amp.  

My 250/272 just offered to cook dinner accompanied by a bottle of Penfolds Grange from my birth year! No need, I still love them. For now.

I’d like to try a Vitus amplifier one day. According to their dealer it’s better than a 552/500 for less than half the price, but then they would say that wouldn’t they. The Linn Klimax DSM is another one - I asked a Linn/Naim dealer who said not to bother and that my 272/555 would be more enjoyable. I rather like the idea of Linn/Vitus nonetheless. 

Difficult to say, or perhaps also not I think brands like AVM and Audionet would be on my shortlist. Perhaps also avant-garde acoustics....

Devialet all in one for me, hoping it might cure my worsening condition of upgraditis!

Bryston digital source and amps & PMC speakers!

Aavik U -300 -integrated

Chord Blu2/Dave -DAC 

Rega RP10- turntable

D’agostino -Amps

Antipodes-music server

Main system: Vitus / Hegel / Rega / Sim Audio, with a Rega RP10.

Budget system: Yamaha MusiCast WXA50.

I’m also keen to hear a Vitus integrated - specifically the RI-100, as they are allegedly very competitive with Naim’s high end boxes (as already mentioned by HH). Always enjoyed Rega electronics, and recently heard the latest All In One from Hegel too, and it was just superb. Not heard Sim Audio moon as yet, but their products look interesting.

My piano

Surprised to Accuphase in here. Loads of people swear by their amps and a friend certainly loves his. I can never get past the needless showyness of the gain meters and the fact that they still make a couple products that are spiritual twins to the graphic equalizer always makes me suspicious of the brand.

Good call on AVM. I forgot them. I've been curious about them for a while.

I would have another listen to Linn which I found boring back in the day. Strong chance I would go back to Exposure. I always held them in high regard.

Stu

Linn always sounds boring next to Naim but fine compaired to anything else.

A big vintage black Sansui amp with Sansui turntable and a modern streaming device for relative littlle money.

Or a big (expensive)  SET valve/horn system. With a beautiful idler turntable by Artisan Fidelity. Never heard such a system but my own modest valve/lenco set up gives me a lot of musical joy so big brother must be something special.

grt Tom

If I couldn't have Naim...  Well, I really enjoyed my old C-J amps so I could probably happily live with that. My time with Audio Research was less successful though, although I guess I'd have to give the more recent kit a fair shot. Otherwise EAR would probably get a look in.  And I would go and take a good listen to what else is out there, but otherwise I might just be happy having my ex Peter Sellers Quad system serviced and updated and just live with that.

Then again, I might just stick with a Pono and a pair of HD600 headphones...

Audionote, Luxman, EAR. Exposure.

Of course right now I'm playing Grand Funk Railroad: Grand Funk on my current system. I must admit, as the boys are tearing it up on "Inside Looking Out" I am having trouble imaging it sounding this good on anything else.

The only amps I've heard that sound anything like Naim are Naim amps. I would (like you) definitely go to the trouble of importing one if it wasn't available locally. There are many others that I enjoy for their strengths (valve amps like Leben, for their ability to make music sound 3D in a way that SS amps can struggle with), but none of them nail the crucial rhythm side of things quite like Naim (although EAR is known to be strong with rhythm from a valve amp perspective).

As far as a digital source outside of Naim goes, Chord DACs, unlike many others I've tried, don't seem to make the musicians sound lazy. I would definitely have their upcoming M Scaler on my audition list when it is released, if funds permitted. I haven't heard a Schiit Yggdrasil, but it would be on my audition list too if it was in the target price range.

For me, if not Naim amps then Cyrus and Sugden as well as if I was flushed with cash, DNM would be in the list. The power and grip of the top end Cyrus mono blocks is almost Statement like. DNM would be for sheer indulgence.. Sugden amps with the right speakers can sound soooo sweet with amazing timing.... they just run a bit on the warm side....

hungryhalibut posted:

I’d like to try a Vitus amplifier one day. According to their dealer it’s better than a 552/500 for less than half the price, but then they would say that wouldn’t they. The Linn Klimax DSM is another one - I asked a Linn/Naim dealer who said not to bother and that my 272/555 would be more enjoyable. I rather like the idea of Linn/Vitus nonetheless. 

I heard a vitus system recently powering SBLs. Does some great things with scale, balance and bass reproduction. But for me it was inferior to 52/300 non dr - just made me impressed with the sound but i wanted to walk away as it was dull (i’ve Already told Rob I didn’t like it - he does which is entirely what matters to him)

to the op - I wouldn’t know where to start - maybe meridian as I had that before naim. Or audio note as audio counsel (from whom I bought my 102/180/napsc in 1999) is now no longer naim but has audio note

Sonneteer Alabaster maybe or David Belles Aria

These are in my budget range if I did not have Naim. 

Importantly for me they satisfy the criteria of not being made in China.